Rassie Erasmus says scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl will start against England because he is better suited to the game plan the Springboks want to employ at Twickenham.

Embrose Papier has deputised for Faf de Klerk for most of the Test season and with the latter unavailable for selection on Saturday, it was widely expected that the youngster would start.

When asked about his call at scrumhalf, Erasmus said it had been influenced by various factors.

‘Because of the conditions and the tactical way England play, Ivan is maybe a better fit to start,’ Erasmus explained.

‘My experience from these conditions is that you don’t need versatility, you have to be tactically smart and control things with the boot, depending on the weather. And Ivan has been training and playing – especially in that Currie Cup semi-final against Western Province – really well.’

PREVIEW: England vs Springboks

Erasmus added that Papier will still have a valuable role to play against Eddie Jones’ men when he comes on as a substitute.

‘Embrose is a more instinctive player, which is great on hard grounds, and he will definitely have an impact on this game. But I thought in these conditions and the tactical way we want to play, Ivan is a better choice.’

Photo: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix